A highlight of my 30-year USAF career was being the anonymous explosives safety non-commissioned officer at Holloman’s track from 1993-1998. I met then-retired Dr. John Paul Stapp over lunch on my first day at the 586th Flight Test Squadron and lived near him in Alamogordo. Thank you for sharing the history of these amazing facilities.

My grandfather, a former pilot and auto-body man, installed aircraft harnesses in his 1965 Ford Fairlane 500. On the dash was a sticker which read, "Don't be caught dead sitting on your seatbelt." He loved to race trains and cross the Intercity viaduct at 100+ miles per hour. My mom would become apoplectic when I would carelessly mention our speed runs. I thought it was great fun. Don't forget Hollywood's contribution to seatbelts: in the 1960s, the NTSB wanted to get people to wear the seatbelts being installed in new cars. The head of the agency knew a successful television producer - William Dozier - who had a hit show on ABC TV at the time. The NTSB director asked Dozier if they could get the characters in the show to demonstrate and reinforce seatbelt wearing in the episodes so that kids would nag their parents to do the same. That show was Batman, and that's why you frequently see The Caped Crusader and Robin secure their seatbelts when they hop into the Batmobile. Seatbelt use increased several hundred percent in the first year of the campaign.

@NathanDudani

2 жыл бұрын

Huh, the more you know

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Great story, thanks!

@toomanyhobbies2011

2 жыл бұрын

Which is also the year seatbelts were required on all new cars and trucks, 1966.

Baby car seats should look like ejection seats for cool dads and tolerant moms. Martin Baker should expand their product line.

@stephenrickstrew7237

2 жыл бұрын

Touché…

@markbartlett6287

2 жыл бұрын

I totally would have bought those for my kids when they were little.

@dave8599

Жыл бұрын

yeah, a milk bottle holder can be fashioned to look like an oxygen tank, a rubber chew toy survival knife can be included. Now if only I get get the kid to use the relief tube.

@sirclarkmarz

Жыл бұрын

They should be functional as well for the obnoxious kids that won't behave themselves

@allangibson8494

Жыл бұрын

They were developed from the same research done by Paul Stapp…

Ironically…. It takes something sounding as crazy and dangerous as a rocket sled to develop Safe Egress Systems … Thanks to the Author for giving the Rocket Sled program the coverage it deserves … and that we Aviation Nuts just love …. Well Done 👍

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

@stephenrickstrew7237

2 жыл бұрын

@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 many thanks for your work

@allangibson8494

Жыл бұрын

Rocket sleds also led directly to car seatbelts… Because it showed the human body could withstand 45G with minimal damage if properly restrained.

Really interesting video, and great narration. I heard that Colonel Strapp had radioactive isotopes imbedded within his false teeth, so they could be found easier after the water brake kicked in.

Another great video Mr. Machat. I never knew the origin of Murphy’s law….now I do. Here are some Murphy’s law derivatives: 1. A dropped tool will always fall where it can do the most damage. Sometimes referred to as the law of selective gravitation. 2. If there are n parts needed, there will be n-1 parts in stock. I seem to remember there was a movie based on US aero-medical research that was made in the 1950s. I can’t remember the title, but the photo of the ejection test from the B-47 reminded me of a scene from that movie. Thanks again for the video and the meticulous research that goes into these gems.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and I believe that movie was called "Bailout at 43,000 Feet."

@lancerevell5979

2 жыл бұрын

My old Seniorchief on my Navy ship had his derivative.... "An electronic device will always fail at the worst possible time." ETCS Neil K. Normandin (RIP) My variation... "A lost part will only be found once it has been replaced."

@brucelytle1144

Жыл бұрын

Murphy was an optimist!

A Mike Machat Aviation history lesson and a cup of coffee; what great way to start the day! Mike have you ever watched the ejection seat testing parody video "Tough Sledding"?

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

I'll check it out!

I love the staticstics on lives saved. The road death total went down as the number of vehicles in use went up.

Mike you captured the essence of egress testing with rocket sleds with this piece. The test manikins were developed with much input from Dr. Stapp. He also set the strength of seat belts in cars and planes at 6,000 lbs force. Above that, the belt is no help. He was quite the character and wrote a book of goofy poetry "For your moments of inertia". Very well done once again!

Another great video, Mike. One of the Eagle drivers out at Nellis from the 59th TES, Col Pete "Shadow" Ford, suffered a catastrophic failure and had to punch out on the range. He successfully ejected at a super low-level and (as squadron legend has it) didn't pull the handles until he saw the shadow of his jet on the desert floor!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Love it!

Wonderful information sir, thanks so much to everybody for the hard work.

Great presentation. A lot of information packed into 20 minutes and great tie ins to the research being successfully applied to everyday life. Thanks!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Great series of videos. As an escape systems engineer myself it’s great to see the history especially relating to hurricane mesa🙂… still a lot of cool activity there! A video on instrumented manikin tech or canopy jettison systems would be really cool too! Thanks for the upload.

Great video Mike! Highly recommend the Stapp biography "Sonic Wind" to learn just how important his work was for aircraft and automotive safety. As for sled tests, the highlight of my aerospace engineering career was the three years I spent as test engineer with McDonnel Douglas Escape systems in Long Beach. Engineered tests at Hurricane Mesa (Minipac development) and HSTT (ACES II Advanced Recovery Sequencer), and China Lake(in-flight tests). Our ARS sled test series (the sled with F-16 fore-body in your video) included one static and three sled tests at up to Mach 1.2. It was exciting, but I was always slightly disappointed with how FAST everything happens =D As much fun as our own tests were, the highlight of my time at Holloman was being invited to observe a night time Mach 5-6, three stage, ablative materials test. At the time the track was just under 8 miles long and they used the full length. The three stages ignited in turn, the sled went past, and hit the deceleration section all before we heard the sound of the first stage igniting. At the time we were there, there was a team qualifying the ACES II for use in the YF-23 (we werent supposed to know that, but part of our test crew was from General Dynamics and had worked on the 23 sled). The project was still sort of classified and they had their own workshop. If they were scheduled to test, we would either not be allowed to enter the facility, or we had to "hide" in our workshp until they were finished. The shape of the aircraft nose and cockpit was hidden from view when transported between shops and track. One of my professors in college had started his career at Coleman in the 50s, and worked on/at Hurricane Mesa and related projects. Though it was promoted and publicly used as an escape systems test facility, the track was used for developing release and retardation systems for nuclear weapons. Interesting fact: though the sled fore-body used for B-1B ejection seat tests was the heaviest, the physically largest one was built for the B-2 seat tests (originally three seats). I never saw it in person, but did watch test films after the aircraft was made public. Approx 20 ft wide, it had large vertical stabilizers on each side to help keep the airflow the same as on the aircraft, painted white over all. I was told it was stored in Palmdale for a while but was scrapped in the early 2000s.

@orangelion03

2 жыл бұрын

@@dalecomer5951 HSTT at Holloman, Hurricane Mesa, and SNORT at China Lake. Sandia Labs has one in Albuquerque. Interestingly, the Edwards track was dismantled and components were used to extend HSTT.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Fabulous comment and terrific stories, thanks!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Hurricane Mesa and the Holloman AFB hypersonic tracks are in use in the U.S. today.

@rodgerhecht3623

2 жыл бұрын

I worked for a time in the shop where the B-2 sled was worked on ,and got to see what it looked like after it was tested. Spent many an hour working on the actual escape hatches removing fasteners and removing and replacing surface materials. Kinda scary trying to keep from sliding off, not to mention all the pryro stuff is still live.

Great video Mike, really enjoyed it.

Hi Mike, you must investigate the Yankee extraction system used on the A1s during the Vietnam war. I would like to know how successful it was. Thanks for the great presentations you have done

I have been to the Museum Of The United States Air Force many many many time since I was very young and always wanted to know more about ejection seats, Pods and ejection systems. Thank you so so much for your videos...many many questions that I've had since I was a boy have been answered through yiur great videos. Thanks

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment Brian, and glad you enjoyed the video!

Thanks for the great episode, as always!

What an amazing video. I was fascinated with the rocket sled tests growing up in the 60's. I had no idea of the amount of testing that took place. Thanks again for a wonderful and informative video. As always God bless you and yours. And take care!

I dont know where you find all these historical photos....but i love it. There's so much stuff that went on at Edwards... 90% of the people that work there dont know anything about it. I always took newbies on a tour to show them what i could. I miss being able to be on base. Youd think after soending half of my life there they would give you a free pass.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Great comment, thanks, and agreed on base access for us AFFTC veterans! Dealing with that new "Visitor Processing Center" at the Rosamond Gate can be a demeaning experience.

Fascinating as always with your material!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

AMAZING! Almost did not watch this, but this was the best of the three in the series. Loved the association with automobiles and child safety seats. Cool!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

Thank you Mr. Machat for a very interesting and informative video. I never know how much was developed from the research done with rocket sleds. I remember seeing them being tested in TV documentaries and newsreels. I only thought that, even to today, they were designed to test the affects of G-Forces and to test flight suits. Amazing what came to be from all these tests.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

46 G...my God...brutal!! Great vid, man.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

Awesome. I’ve always been intrigued by photos of sleds but didn’t know much about them. Thanks for the story & history lesson.

Even more great information. Mike, thanks for sharing this with us.

Great job as always Mike. Fascinating and fun to watch.

I imagine that every US ejection incident is carefully analysed, from the ejection equipment to the medical exam of the ejectee. From this analysis we gain knowledge on how to improve results later. In the early years, it was a steep learning curve.

Great video. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

Great presentation and subject! Thanks Mike! Fascinating. Wonder how the sled was lubricated and not shattering along track.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Helium is injected onto the rails for hypersonic runs today.

Great video, interesting.

That ride at 9:30 looks like it should be more exciting than most "parachute drop" drop rides. I'll make sure and stop by and try it out next time I pass through southern Utah.

Another great presentation, Mike. For me, it was a tutorial, and a very enjoyable one at that.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

This was fascinating. thanks

Very interesting Mike and thanks.

Thanks Mike! I really enjoyed this series!

In a way, these rocket sleds saved my Mom's life in 2017. She was in a 2002 Subaru Forester and an oncoming driver fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the centerline on a blind curve, my mom had no time to react and the vehicles impacted passenger side corner to passenger side corner. Thanks to the airbag and restraint system in my mom's vehicle, she suffered only a few broken bones and ribs. She did have to be cut out of the car using hydraulic extraction tools (aka the "jaws of life"), and evacuated by helicopter to a hospital, but she survived it and I don't think she would have if her vehicle had not benefited from the advances made in automotive safety thanks to rocket sled testing. She now owns a 2020 Subaru Forester (the 2018 Forester that she purchased after the accident was totaled by getting rear-ended (with no injuries) by an unlicenced driver), and she is quite happy with it because it sits high enough off the ground that it's easy for her to get into and out of, as well as of course the much more advanced airbag system in the newer Foresters.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Wonderful story and thanks for sharing!

Another great video and very informative and interesting. And the photos are great as always. Thanks again for your great work and time, Thanks again Mike. A great series.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks John!

Another great video, Mike. Interesting pronunciation of "trough." Thanks again and keep 'em coming!

Loved the video, great job!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

*Great video...👍*

Am I a nerd if I knew that was a Jaguar tail before you said it? And the old Grumman logo was a clue too. Iron Works!!!

Really cool channel! Super glad it wound up on my radar. For sure a subscriber.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Awesome, thank you. Great having you aboard!

My father flew out of North Base from 1960 - 1971 and, as a kid, I had been there numerous times. Until your story, I never knew the rocket sled was located there. I checked Google Earth and could not recognize it's position in relation to the North Base runway. A little help?? Once again Mike, great story!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

The North Base Track ran parallel to the runway, and was located about 1/4 mile to the northeast of the base itself.

Hello Mike! 🇧🇷 Your videos are always really cool! They are also a source of inspiration! Congratulations!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

Did not know about sonic wind, love the Northrop emblem on front and sides

Great video - I learned a lot!. If you should ever go to the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, they have Dr. Stapp's sled on display there. I just looked at it and shook my head, amazed at what he did in that thing.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Cool, thanks!

very interesting

What a ride that would be!! I bet riding that thing was an addiction! in it's own way

Sounds like Dr. Stapp should hold several land speed records!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Very true!

Great presentation Great History I’m curious if you ever heard the story about Carl Bellinger ejecting from a plane ?I think it was in New York??

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

I'm familiar with most, if not all, the accidents and bailouts involving Republic test flights over Long Island, but I'm not aware of any aircraft that Carl ever ejected from. There was an amazing crash landing he survived when the F-84 Thunderjet he was landing at Farmingdale suffered complete hydraulic and brake failure. The jet rolled off the end of the runway, hit a chain-link fence, and flipped over into an employee parking lot. The canopy and cockpit would have normally been crushed, but the jet landed with Carl's cockpit safely upside down in between two parked cars!

pretty interesting

Looking to listen to John Stapps book. Should be very interesting.

Thanks for sharing this very interesting video on the indispensable Escape System! Now I know were the famous Murphy laws originated from! I think that we can never owe enough to Dr Stapp and his staff that did so much to to reduce losses of life. I'm glad that the authorities didn't make compulsory to install ejection seats for little toddlers though...

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Funny to see a German Buzz Bomb with USA markings on it. Mike, not to ask a dumb question but what held the sled to the tracks? Was there a three wheel system like on a tube rollercoaster or was it just a captured guide sliding on the track? Is the F-89, "at 13:58" flying off off P.V. Hill? How much height would a pilot lose with each ejection. Sorry for the Questions but this was a really good video. Thanks again to Mike Machat for a great "after dinner" watch........

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Runners at each corner of the sled held it to the track. Helium is injected on the rails for hypersonic runs. And yes, that's PV in the F-89 photo, and pilots didn't lose weight inan ejection, but were generally about an inch shorter!

I wonder how the skids of the sled work: what they're made of, if they're lubricated, and how they attach to the rails to prevent the sled from lifting off. They must get pretty hot during the run!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

High-speed components were Titanium, and Helium is injected on the rails for hypersonic runs today.

@rorypenstock1763

2 жыл бұрын

@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Thanks for the info!

I've seen an artist's concept of that F-104 nose section (3:46), depicted as a rocket-powered, space plane of some type; parallel program, wishful thinking, or ?

Mike I didn't see it in the episode or comments which one is the hypersonic track and where is it located?

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Apologies for not properly labeling that slide at the end, but the Hypersonic Track is at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. Thanks for watching!

@barrysteinlage6888

2 жыл бұрын

@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Thanks, mighty long inspection walk!

For automobile accident survival, a combination of rapid trauma care and medical advances added to lowering the death toll. An ambulance in 1965 was basically a hearse that only transported the patient--or the corpse. Now ambulances are mobile trauma treatment centers. Car design and restraint systems were only part of the equation.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Excellent point, thanks!

@alancranford3398

Жыл бұрын

@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 I did volunteer work at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah for about a decade and about a decade after John Stapp's funeral I found a parking sign for him from the time that he lectured at that museum. At the time, I had heard of the name, so I looked up Stapp's life and learned of his work at Edwards and later contributions to automobile safety. A lesson I took home with me was that even with secret projects (the ejection seat work was secret at the time because it dealt with war-winning technologies) total isolation is rare. Doctor Stapp's work greatly influenced automobile design (including rollover protection restraint systems in military trucks). The rocket sled was used to fire a Phantom II jet into a containment wall to test nuclear safety--after 9/11 when someone complained that jet aircraft "vanished" in New York City and the Pentagon, I showed them the video of the F4 disintegrating at a mere 400 miles per hour impact velocity--and some aircraft firefighting training videos. Stapp's work also affects passenger ship lifeboat drills (connecting Stapp to the Titanic) and to commercial passenger airliner emergency procedures ("assume crash positions!"). This rocket sled video could inspire other videos because this world is connected. Ever see a helicopter water landing trainer? One of my friends died in a Marine Corps CH-46 crash--his helicopter caught fire while flying and then exploded. The day that he died, the radio from his helicopter arrived in my avionics shop for salvage (the radio was scorched but worked fine) and I didn't find out that he was a victim until a month after the accident. That got me personally interested in aircrew survivability and how passengers and cargo were evacuated when something went wrong with the airplane. Thank you for your work on this three-part video series. Speaking of connections, Hill Air Force Base is named for the Army pilot who crashed the first B-17 prototype. The Boeing 299 wasn't designed for the crew to quickly exit the aircraft either in flight or while on the ground--in fact, many of the crew lacked seat belts or even seats. www.hill.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/838204/commentary-lets-remember-hill-afb-namesake/ Eddie Rickenbacker, America's Great War Ace of Aces, survived a B-17 ditching, but much of the emergency gear was lost. Modern aircrew survival gear is attached to the crewmember (so it won't be separated when exiting the aircraft) because getting back to the surface in one piece is only the beginning of the adventure. In 1923 one of the World Cruisers crash-landed in Alaska and the crew hiked for weeks before reaching safety. Yes, there's a lot more you can do--the question will be what to leave out!

Have you seen the top gear program where they race a typhoon eurofighter

How well did B 58 capsules work out ???

👍

16:50 How about that razor sharp, half moon horn in the steering wheel? I get a funny feeling in my throat just thinking about that safety hazard.

F105 sled at Hurricane Mesa was built by Coleman, Is that the camp stove company?

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Yes, I believe that is correct.

Mike: Your series of videos is fantastic, but on this one, at 9:33, I can't help but think of Wile E. Coyote.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment and for buying my XB-70 print. I never thought of Wile E. Coyote for that, but yes, you nailed it!

So 11 rocket bottles should accelerate me and my VW Bug to supersonic speed! Where do I buy the rocket bottles?

Wondering why the term jato is used when it's really rato...

To be fair, the concept of Murphy's Law dates back to the 19th Century. Mr Murphy may have simply lent his name to it.

id rather have a good looking car than a safe one.